


Epiphany

by BugheadjonesTheThird



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Betty Cooper Needs a Hug, Bugheadforever, Episode Fix-it 04x17, F/M, I need a hug, Jughead Jones Needs a Hug, bughead - Freeform, just screw that whole episode, my take on what Betty might have felt towards Archie, real teenager troubles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-22
Updated: 2020-04-22
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:00:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,245
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23787478
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BugheadjonesTheThird/pseuds/BugheadjonesTheThird
Summary: Fix-it Fic. After Jughead finally came back to life, Betty finds herself thinking about the time she had to live without her boyfriend. She helped fake his death, investigate possible suspects and even pretend to date her best friend, Archie Andrews— who also happened her first love. She went through a lot during the past few weeks, and now that it's finally over, her heart can’t stop thinking… What if?
Relationships: Betty Cooper & Jughead Jones, Betty Cooper/Jughead Jones
Comments: 9
Kudos: 54
Collections: 7th Bughead Fanfiction Awards - Nominees





	Epiphany

**Author's Note:**

> okay, this is probably my first time writing a fix-it fic (unfortunately) and I've tried my best to make some justice to our beloved Bughead. If they really wanted to explore any kind of thing Betty might have felt towards Archie while she had to pretend, well… that’s how I would’ve done it. Oh, and needless to say, all that cheating crap didn’t/ won't happen. Hope you like it, and remember, #bugheadforever  
> Also, this is un-beta'd because I just needed it out of my system. Sorry about that.

_‘All I’m saying is…your secret is safe with me.’_

It had been almost a week since Cheryl said those words to her, and ever since then, Betty couldn’t seem to keep them off her thoughts. At night, while trying to sleep, she tossed and turned, pushing the covers away as she sighed like a damsel in distress haunted by her own thoughts. Her golden locks were messily splayed across her pillow, and she could only thank the superior forces for Jughead to be sleeping at the bunker that night.

He didn't deserve to be disturbed by her troubled thoughts. He didn’t deserve to lose a single minute of his precious sleep because of her, especially not when the one thing keeping her eyes open was actually asleep one window away.

Archie Andrews. Her best friend. Her first love and the one who pretended to be her boyfriend so people would believe that her _real_ boyfriend was actually dead. They’ve spent a couple of days holding hands, sharing milkshakes and even kissing in public for the sake of their master plan, and according to Veronica, their acting had been simply perfect.

_An act_. That was all it was supposed to be, and it was all that really was, right? They did it for the sake of Jugead’s life, and both of them were fully aware of that the whole time they were playing lovebirds. It had all been just a big lie— one of the endless lies hidden in this small town— so why on earth was she feeling so frustrated?

She turned one last time, her eyes now facing the ceiling of the room. Her arms rested on both sides of her body over the duvet, and she could only feel herself growing more irritated by the time she was wasting with that nonsense. ”What's wrong with you, Betty?” She whispered to herself, thinking that, maybe, if she threw the words into the universe, she might actually find a logical explanation for all of those feelings. Maybe, if she could tell Jughead about it, he would find her an answer.

Yeah, right. Telling Jughead that she was actually losing sleep because her stupid heart was actually rummaging around the biggest ‘ _what if_ ’ of her young life.

What if Archie hadn’t rejected her? Would they still be together? Would things have gone so smoothly as when they were pretending? And what about Jughead?

_What about Jughead?_

Would their friendship still be as it used to be if they hadn’t started dating? Would they still investigate all of Riverdale’s dark secrets if Archie was more present in her life? Would his life have been so different without her love?

Her eyes widened at the thought and slowly, she sat up on the bed, her legs now on the edge of the mattress. Golden hair was falling on the sides of her face, as she found herself deeper into her thoughts. Betty had never even considered how her life would’ve been if her beanie-clad knight hadn’t climbed up her window and stolen a kiss from her that day. Their lives were now so entangled that she just couldn’t picture herself without Jughead anymore.

He understands her better than anyone. He accepts her for who she really is, and their love is the only truly good thing in Riverdale. Their love is real— way more than whatever she used to feel for Archie— and even if she was now trapped in that dilemma, not even once had she doubted her love for him.

_It was just…_ _just_ — She couldn’t even describe what she was feeling, for god’s sake!

She has always prided herself in how well she could use words to describe her mind’s tricks in her journals, but this time, Betty was freaking out over it! She could feel her anxiety peaking, making her heart beat faster and her lungs urge for more air as she just couldn’t find the right answers for her questions. What even were her questions, to begin with? She wanted to work with facts, just like when they’re investigating things, but there was no such thing as logic in her feelings at that moment.

All she knew was that she had been moved by the time she had spent as Archie’s fake girlfriend. Even if had only been for just a couple of days, it was undeniable that she had to pretend to be everything her younger-self used to wish for. She had to pretend to be happy with her ginger neighbor while living in a world without Jughead Jones by her side, and perhaps, she allowed that stupid illusion to meddle with her reality. By not knowing how long Jughead would remain considered K.I.A, her mind began to spiral out and project herself a new, distorted future.

A future in which Jughead and her are no longer together.

Her hands were quick to cover her mouth and suddenly, a terrified expression took over her face as she was hit by that realization. _Of course_ , she thought, quickly standing up and rushing to the drawer where she kept her photo album. She sat back on the carpet and started to go through older pics of her and the boys during their childhood, when they were always together and life was but a walk in the park during a warm, summer day.

Those really were simpler times. They had absolutely nothing to worry about and Riverdale— _well, for all they knew_ — was still just a small town with pep. Back then, kids were still allowed to have fun and people weren’t being killed by their own neighbors. Her father was still a good man, Cheryl still had a twin brother and she was still the perfect, girl who was so young and in love with her best friend.

Her entire future had already been decided back then. While her mother had taken care of her education and what she would have to do in order to achieve the best colleges in the country, Betty herself had already written in her journals about marrying Archie and how they would manage a life of happiness and success before their thirties. That future used to be clear as the day in her naive imagination, and perhaps, that was also the future she had started to imagine during their little game of pretending.

Betty found herself to be impersonating her younger version during those days because _that_ Betty had everything figured out. She knew what to do and where to go; and most of all, she knew everything would work out in the end. She wasn’t afraid of anything or anyone— herself included on this huge list— and perhaps, that ignorance was enough.

Enough for her to feel loved and confident, and mostly, enough for her to be happy.

Her eyes sadly softened at a picture of her smiling next to Archie. Things would’ve certainly been easier if that fantasy future of hers had come true. She wouldn’t have cried as much as she did in the past years, and she would only have to worry about winning prom queen during her senior year. She wouldn’t be a nosy, Nancy-Drew-wannabe and instead of breaking into people’s houses to investigate their pasts, she could be just another student walking down the hallways of Riverdale High.

Who wouldn’t want a life like that? A normal life.

Her heart suddenly ached at the thought. She could feel tears threatening to pool under her eyes, and it didn’t really take her that long to reach the first and most important conclusion of the night.

She wouldn't want a life like that.

In fact, she would _hate_ a life like that.

Though simple and serene, a life like that would be nothing but a huge lie. If she were to follow all of her old dreams, Betty would be trapped in a world blinded by a curtain of pre-made decisions and overwhelming expectancies that she would most likely be unable to reach. And then, knowing her old-self like she does, the blonde knew it would be just a matter of time until she blew that whole facade up and got herself hurt. _Really_ hurt.

More than when Polly was taken away and more than when Archie rejected her after she told him about her feelings. _Oh, that’s right…_ On that night, while wearing that pink dress that made her look like a barbie doll, her ideal life ended before it even began. She was left crying on her porch because her prince charming thought she was just too perfect for him. In all of those years of planning, she had never expected not be chosen back because she had become the supposedly best version of herself.

She used to be too much and too unreachable. Without knowing, she built a wall around herself that no one even tried to trespass in fear of never being good enough for her. She was a perfect and lonely girl who had isolated herself in her pristine world, where no one could hear her pleas.

_Poor Elizabeth Cooper._

But she would be okay, right? She would eventually find someone worthy of her perfection. Eventually, she would find someone who could fit into her pretty, little world and she would finally have a brilliant, happy and simple future.

Right?

No _fucking_ way.

She could never be happy like that. That future could never be right, and right now, as she looked at her white window, she couldn't thank him enough for saving her from her own solitude.

Right now, instead of looking at that window and thinking about her neighbor, she thinks about the boy from the wrong side of the tracks who climbed his way up to her room, called her crazy and kissed her with all the love and kindness she had been denied for ages. He wasn’t perfect and he was nothing like the man she had pictured to be her husband, but that was the _best_ thing about him.

He saw her as more than just that fake image she had adopted as her identity. He saw the girl behind that mask and that included all of her flaws, her passions, her scars and her peculiarities. He saw all that, and yet… He didn’t run away. Jughead Jones stayed by her side during the best and worst moments of her life, and it was the first time she felt like she was wanted.

She felt loved.

She felt loved and excited and— _damn_ — she felt so free. For the first time in her life, Betty was feeling everything so deeply and with such intensity that made all of that old numbness seem like a distant nightmare. Of course, there were a lot of painful moments, when her face was soaked in tears and her heart was breaking, but even that felt better than that emptiness that took over her life.

Betty could finally find some relief building up in her stomach as she looked at what was probably her favorite photo of them. Officially, that was a picture Archie and Veronica took of themselves during their Labor Day escapade, but standing there, on the background, Jughead and her were swimming together, warm bodies entangled and surrounded by the cold water; and she will always remember how much she wanted that moment to last. His blue eyes were so beautiful that day, and through them, she saw the reflection of what was _certainly_ best version of herself.

And that version only exists because of him. He took her out of her own life so they could start something new together, and ever since that, Betty just couldn’t imagine herself _wanting_ to go back.

So screw the simpler times— they are never coming back. Screw her expectations and all of the words she has once written in her journals. Screw her first love. It was never the love she deserved.

A bright and warm smile was now taking over her face and she had never felt lighter before. Her heart was beating faster in excitement right now and— _damn it_ — she just felt the urge to see Jughead. She wanted to tell him everything she had just finally concluded, and more than ever, she wanted to tell him how much she loves him. Perhaps, she could go after him at the bunker, and then—

_Fuck_. Her eyes drifted to the digital clock on her nightstand and the green numbers were marking 3:27am. There was no way she could just go out there and wake him up after he had probably spent the whole afternoon working so hard to catch up on their studies. A wave of disappointment hit her, and through her mirror, she saw herself pouting like a contradicted, spoiled child.

She wanted to be with him. She needed to see him and that unique beanie of his.

And thankfully, he felt the same way.

When Betty had finally decided to put the photos back on the drawer so she could go back to bed, her ears captured the roaring of a very familiar engine right before it suddenly died out. Her eyes widened, and she wasted no time before rushing to the window to confirm the expectations of her now thrilled heart. She glanced towards the streets, and she could never describe how happy she was when she saw him taking off his helmet and leaving it on his motorcycle.

_What a sight for sore eyes_ , she thought, as a blush crawled up her cheeks. She saw as he yawned and scratched the back of his neck, and even if she knew he was clearly tired, Betty just couldn’t keep her own excitement for herself at that moment.

That was the man she loves. The man she's going to marry.

The blonde, then, took a deep breath and wasted no time before running out of their bedroom and down the stairs so she could finally meet him. When she got down there, the red door was already been unlocked, and as soon as it was opened, her heart skipped a beat at the sight in front of her. Jughead was half asleep, with his messenger bag hanging on his right shoulder, and she saw as his eyes widened as soon as they met hers.

“Eh? Betty? It’s 3am. What are you—“

The raven haired boy didn’t even have time to finish his question before his girlfriend literally jumped on him. His keys fell on the floor and so did his bag, and as in an automatic movement, his arms encircled her waist so he could properly hold her up. Her arms wrapped around his shoulders, and her lips were already pressed to his in a strong and breathtaking kiss.

It was warm, soft, intense and it was filled with pure and sincere _love_. An everlasting that love that has already faced so many hardships and only grew stronger amidst the adversities. Her cheeks were blushing as her bare feet were still far from touching the ground, and the pressure of his fingertips on her small body was strong enough to make her feel safe.

He would not let her fall, she knew. And even if he did— even if, one day, he’s not strong enough— then they will fall together.

Neither of them knew how long they had remained like that, but eventually, he slowly put her down, his hands now resting on her lower back, as their eyes looked at one other. The Jones boy was left speechless, and all she could do about it was suppress the urge to laugh. If anything, she’s one of the few people in the world who are able to leave him speechless, and she can’t help but to feel proud of herself for that.

“I…You…What—“ He cleared his throat, then, closing his eyes for a couple of seconds as he finally tried to find the words she had stolen from him. “Hey, Betts. Nice to see you here."

“Hi, Jug.” She smiled. “Nice to see you, too. I thought you weren’t gonna come home tonight.”

“Yeah, I thought so, too, but I ran out of coffee there. And you know I can’t survive without it.”

“Oh, you really can’t live without your midnight coffee. Though it’s still a mystery how your stomach doesn’t complain about it.”

“Years of practice, Betts.” He smirked, his fingers unconsciously drawing circles on her hips. “But the real mystery here is why on earth are you awake, young lady?"

“I had an epiphany!” She said, a little louder than she needed to, joy clearly present in her voice.

“Oh…” His eyes widened, a mild surprise taking over his expression. “Cool, I guess? Hope it was a positive one.”

“It was a wonderful one, Jug!”

“Well, I’m really happy for you, then. And happy for me because of this unexpected and very pleasant display of affection. What was it about?”

“You.”

“Me?” He arched his brows. “Could it be that you’ve finally realized who’s the best detective of this duo?”

“Definitely not. I already know it’s me.” She smirked. “I was actually having some trouble sleeping with all of these thoughts about us, but now I’m much better.”

“Sounds really great, Betts. Do you wanna talk about it?”

“Definitely! I can’t wait for you to hear it all. I need you to hear it all.” Her eyes grew fonder at such words, and she watched as his expression mimicked her own. Jughead knew whatever had stolen her sleep was an important matter to her and if she needed him to hear all about it, then, he would.

He wanted to. He _really_ wanted to.

“Okay…” He started, his voice filled with tenderness and honesty. “Then let’s get inside, make some coffee and you can tell me all about it.”

"Right now?"

"Yeah. Why not?"

“Actually…” Betty said, her voice laced with a certain tone he knew way too well. “I was thinking that we could go to our room instead.”

“Do you prefer talking there?”

“Not really, but… Maybe we could leave it for tomorrow. It’s not like I’m in a hurry to tell you or anything.”

“What? But we’re both awake now. What else could be more important than that?”

“Well…” She leaned in, slowly, and whispered something only for his ears to hear. It was a fast and productive talk that, in a matter of seconds, made his eyes widen and a silly smile take over his lips. Betty, then, returned to her previous position, and she knew her words had served their purpose.

“We can certainly talk tomorrow.” He said, eagerly, leaving his belongings on the floor next to the entrance right after he closed the door behind him. The blonde let out a muffled giggle, and before she could take another step, he lifted her up to carry her upstairs. Her hands delicately cupped his cheeks, and softly, she planted another kiss on his lips.

Once more, they were just two teenagers in love, enjoying their night together. They didn’t care about anything else at that moment, and their minds weren’t even thinking about trivial things such as the future, his coffee, her mother waking up or the fact that they both had english classes in a couple of hours.

At that moment, nothing else mattered. Nothing but their love.

And their future— _oh_ , what a delightful adventure awaited for them.

**_fin_**.

**Author's Note:**

> It's been a very troubled week, but I'm sure we're gonna make it if we stick together as this beautiful fandom we are! Also, hope you guys are okay with all this thing going on around the world... If you need someone to talk to, just message me, okay? Hope you guys have enjoyed this fic! xoxox


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